A catastrophic incident unfolded in New York Harbor on the evening of Saturday, May 17, as the Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to at least 19 more.
The collision - which took place in full view of stunned witnesses and nearby residents - has prompted a large-scale investigation and raised questions about mechanical failures, training protocols, and emergency preparedness on the water.
Here is a detailed breakdown of what is known so far about the crash...
What Happened: The Crash at Brooklyn Bridge
The incident occurred around 8:20PM local time, BBC News reports.
The Cuauhtémoc, a tall sailing ship operated by the Mexican Navy, was departing Pier 17 in Manhattan en route to Iceland when it lost power. As the vessel attempted to pass beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, its towering masts clipped the bridge’s underside, snapping on impact.
Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the mechanical issue in a statement shared on X: “Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Adams added: “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, two of which remain in critical condition, and two more have sadly passed away from their injuries.”
Authorities stated that all three masts of the ship broke apart during the collision. Footage circulating on social media shows the dramatic moment the rigging — lit up with decorative lights — struck the iconic structure, raining debris onto the deck and the East River below.
You can see some of the dramatic social media posts below:
Ship Specs and Mission
The Cuauhtémoc is a 297-foot-long (91m), 40-foot-wide (12m) barque with a mast height of 48.2 meters (158 feet).
Built in Spain in 1981 and launched in 1982, it has served as an ambassador of Mexican maritime culture, training naval cadets while representing the nation in international regattas and goodwill visits.
Nicknamed “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” the vessel left the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6, 2025.
It was scheduled to visit 22 ports across 15 countries, including stops in Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; Reykjavik, Iceland; Bordeaux, Saint Malo, Dunkirk in France; and Aberdeen, Scotland. The journey was intended to last 254 days — 170 at sea and 84 in port.
Just four days before the accident, the Cuauhtémoc had docked in New York to great fanfare. “With mariachi, folk ballet and a community full of emotion, we celebrated its arrival at Pier 17 in Manhattan,” the Mexican embassy shared on Facebook.
Eyewitness Accounts: “Lots of Screaming”
Brooklyn resident Nick Corso, 23, was near the scene and described the chaos as the ship struck the bridge. “Lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts, looked like panic happening on the ship,” he told AFP, via News.com.au.
Corso added: “I didn’t see anyone fall into the water but lots of people up top. People ran back and were screaming!”
He added: “The one thing that stood out to me was the panic on the ship, and there was a guy at the back waving for people to move away from the walkway we were on.”
Another local, Arturo Acatitla, 37, shared his account: “Suddenly we saw all the lights, how they collided, hit the bridge, and they (the sailors) all fell down,” he told AFP.
From Brooklyn Bridge Park, witnesses Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz were watching the sunset when they saw the ship strike the bridge. Katz said: “We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them.”
Flavio Moreira - who was walking with his family along the Brooklyn promenade when the incident occurred - told CNN: "It just kept coming closer and closer to us, and at some point, I was like, I don’t think that’s right."
Following the collision, Moreira described the panic on the ship, saying: “We could see some people being kind of dragged. There was some, I believe it was some of the staff, they were on the top of the boat. And they were swinging around, back and forth as soon as the ship hit the bridge."
Emergency Response: “A Serious Incident”
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) received a call at 8:39PM reporting that a ship had hit the bridge. Over 100 fire and EMS personnel were dispatched, including 25 units and marine response teams, CNN reports.
Chief of Training Michael Meyers described the scene: “Once the marine units arrived on scene, we knew immediately that we had a serious incident with a boat striking the bridge, so we had reports of people in the water.”
He continued: “At that point coming down the FDR, we decided to have a dual command post, both on the Brooklyn side and the Manhattan side. Our marine units got out there, picked up Rescue 2 and Rescue 4 and brought them out to the vessel. They started to remove and treat the aided.
“They also brought EMS units out to the vessel to start to treat the more seriously injured people on that vessel. They brought them all here to Pier 16, where we set up a casualty collection point and an EMS staging area to assess the victims and send the most serious to the hospital right away.”
Casualties and Condition Updates
Authorities confirmed that 277 people were aboard at the time of the collision, per The Guardian.
Two individuals died after falling from the ship’s mast, according to a law enforcement official. Nineteen others sustained injuries, with two in critical condition.
The Mexican Navy later confirmed that 22 people had been injured, 19 of whom were taken to hospitals. No one fell into the water, and rescue operations in the river were ultimately not required.
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico posted on X: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Cuauhtémoc Training Ship, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our sympathy and support go out to their families.”
She added: “We are monitoring the situation, and the Secretary of the Navy will continue to provide updates.”
Mexican ambassador Esteban Moctezuma Barragan was present at the scene, coordinating with New York officials. The ship was later moved to Pier 36 to allow passengers to safely disembark.
Status of the Brooklyn Bridge
Despite the force of the collision, the Brooklyn Bridge remained structurally intact. Inspections were conducted by the Department of Transportation.
“While inspections will remain ongoing, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge,” the New York transport department confirmed via X. The bridge was closed to traffic for about 40 minutes before reopening.
Official Statements and Investigation
In a statement released by the Mexican Navy on X, they said the Cuauhtémoc had been on a training manoeuvre at the time and was “damaged in the mishap.” They confirmed the “condition of those on board was under review by local authorities.”
They added: “The Ministry of the navy reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its personnel, transparency in its operations and excellence in the training of future officers of the Mexican navy.”
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation to determine the exact sequence of events and root cause of the mechanical failure. Mayor Adams cautioned that all information available so far is preliminary.
The Broader Context
The crash is the second major maritime bridge incident to strike the US in just over a year.
In March 2024, a cargo ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing a deadly collapse that killed six maintenance workers. Maryland Governor Wes Moore called it a “really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day.”
Our thoughts continue to go out to everybody impacted by this tragedy.